The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-08-13
THE HORROR.
Further Details from the
Scene of the Catastrophe.
NEW FEATURES DEVELOPED
New Facts Have Come to Light, and
the Company Find Them Worthy
Serious Consideration.
Tho Wreck.

4A0 -HEGCAs
CHATswoaTH, Ills, August R.-sen-
sational features were developed TINS
morning as to the cause of the Chats
worth wreck. Rumors were afoat last
night tat it was due to robbers, who
fired the bridge. Little credence was
given them. This morning new facts,
apparently showing the catastrophe 10
be the work of an organized band, have
come to light, and the company hnd
them worthy of serious investigation.
Superintendent Armstrong said to an
Associated Press reporter that the more
investigated the more it appeared. to
him the bridge had been set on hre.
He had observed many thieves at the
wreck, and had stopped them while
despoiling the wreck of property, and
many instances of the robbing Of dead
bodies were being brought to his atten-
ton. The excursion had been extens.
lively advertised and the time it would
pass over the bridge was well known.
Citizens say gang of suspicious fel
lows had been lettering around Chats
worth for some, days. Many of these
were found early at work paying more
attention to relieving the bodies OF valu-
ables than caring for them. Train men
and passengers had frequent conten-
tions With the yandals. In one
instance Superintendent Armstrong
the depot room where property
taken from the wrecI was stored while
the people of the town have done all in
their power for the sufferers. There is
horde of trsmps and thitve in the
vicinity, who do nothing but carry off
anything they can lay hands on.
The horrors of Chatsworth wreck
seem deepening this morning instead of
lessening. Add to the pitiable spectacle
of the dead and the miseries of the dy-
ing stencil, sickening and fou', was
issuing from all the numerous
places where the corpses were. No
picture of the horrible occurrences i'm
mediately succeeding the accident
could equal in revolving details the
scene at the depot here to-day. The
west end of the structure is coal house
and lumber room, where promiscuously
stretched on the floor in the coal
and rubbish are seven unidentified
bodies, blood-stained, bedraggled sheets
and blankets are thrown loosely over
each, but afford little protection from
the swarms of flies continually hover
ing over them. The awful odor
coming from the bodies kept the room
clear of all but the hardest of the still
lingering curious or anxious crowd.
Two of the victims were women and
sight of their faces was one never to be
At Z o'clock Master
Mechanic Warren with a wrecking
train and a large force of men were at
work, confident the track would be
Ix, &nir hot oil
bodies had been removed from the
wreck. President Leonard, Superin-
tendent Armstrong and other officials
were seen this morning. They have
given devoted attention to the relief of
the injured and the care of the dead.
Both show signs of the terrible shock
which the accident has been to them
President Leonard said so far as the
officials could estimate, there |
were about eighty killed and 100 seri-
Ously wounded. There are many who |
were slightly injured, of whom no |
record has been obtained. Leonard |
said as near as could be ascertained the !
train was making about thirty miles |
an hour at the time of the accident, |
not an excessive rate of speed as the |
track was in good condition. The /
bridge, an ordinary fifteen foot wooden |
structure, was all right at o'clock in
the afternoon when train passed over |
it, and half an hour later section men |
inspected it. 1t was then all right. |
At the morning session of the |
jury some decidedly signii-
cant testimony was given. Timothy |
Coghlan, section foreman, said that he |
had four men on his six and half.
He received orders on Wednesday to
20 over his section and see if the
bridges and track were all right.
Coghlan went to the east end of the
section, and burned the grass little
over half mile from the wreck. He
examined the bridge about O'Clock,
and found no smoke about it, and it
vas otherwise all right. About three
weeks ago the grass under the bridge
had been cut away, for ten feet from
he bridge timbers, and he had no idea
If how the bridge could catch fire.
Christopher Ennis, roadmaster for
he line, said he went over the road on
Wednesday from Fairburg to Gilman.
He went over the fatal bridge Just be-
ore 4 O'Clock in the afternoon. He
vas on the rear end of the car and saw
hat the bridge was all right. He said
Ny opinion is that the bridge was set
IN FIRE by someone. About two years
Igo an attempt was made to ditch a
passenger train at that bridge, and We
,ept Waterman there for six weeks.
there were distractions placed on the
uoru IoraI1y